--- title: "Experience Optimization" slug: "experience-optimization" abstract: "An introduction to the types of content testing Sitecore supports." --- # Experience Optimization > [!note] > To use this feature, make sure your Sitecore instance has Experience Platform (XP) installed. Content tests let you test alternative variants of your website's content to find out which pages, components, or combinations of components are the most effective with visitors. The content or components that you are comparing in a test should be designed to achieve the same goal. You can quickly evaluate the test results and gain insight into the content that functions best with your audience. This can help you create more successful campaigns with higher goal-conversion rates. You can use the following tests for testing content in Sitecore: - [Basic content tests](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/experience-optimization.html#UUID-acddddf7-629c-7190-753e-9b80ba1505d4_id__Basic_page_version "Basic content tests") - [Component tests](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/experience-optimization.html#UUID-acddddf7-629c-7190-753e-9b80ba1505d4_id__Component_tests "Component tests") - [Page tests](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/experience-optimization.html#UUID-acddddf7-629c-7190-753e-9b80ba1505d4_id__Personalization_Tests "Page tests") You can let the tests run for a suggested amount of time to generate statistically significant data and then access the [test results](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/content-test-results.html "Content test results")  for a page on the **Optimization** tab in the Experience Editor. When you have finished testing, you can compare conversion rates and select the page or component that you would like to use on your site.

Basic content tests

 When you edit a page in the Experience Editor, Sitecore creates a new version of the page. > [!note] > Users with admin rights do not need to lock a page to edit it. Therefore, users with admin rights must create a new version manually. After you save and submit the page, Sitecore proposes [a test](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/preview-and-start-a-content-test.html "Preview and start a content test") to compare the effect of the old and new versions of the page. You can preview the test, edit the test parameters, and start the test if you want. You can create basic content tests in both the Content Editor and the Experience Editor. The Experience Editor is the more convenient and flexible tool to use because it lets you use existing content and create new content without leaving your website.

Component tests

 You can create variants of components with different content, design, and personalization rules. Creating component variants lets you create complex tests with which you can: - Test multiple variants of a single component against each other. - Test multiple components at the same time, and each version of a component can be tested in combination with each version of the other components. You can [create variants of components](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/create-variants-of-a-component.html "Create variants of a component") in both the Content Editor and the Experience Editor, but the Experience Editor is the more convenient and flexible tool to use because it lets you use existing content and create new content without leaving your website. You define alternative website components either by creating new content or by [cloning](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/clone-and-unclone-an-item.html "Clone and unclone an item") and altering existing content. If you assign [personalization rules to components](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/walkthrough--personalizing-components.html "Walkthrough: Personalizing components"), the personalized components are included in a component test as variants of the original components. When you submit your changes, Sitecore proposes a test to compare the effect of the original and the new variants. You can [preview the test, edit the test parameters, and start the test](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/preview-and-start-a-content-test.html "Preview and start a content test") if you want.

Page tests

 A page test tests a complete page against another page. The pages in the test can be different versions of the same page, or they can be completely different pages. This form of testing is useful for, for example, landing pages. You can [create and run page tests](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/users/102/sitecore-experience-platform/create-and-run-page-tests.html "Create and run page tests") in Experience Optimization.